Becoming Delta
by shopgirl152
Summary: What if there was a way to escape? A way to escape everything, even your destiny as "The Chosen One?"
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: I'm a Buffy newbie, so I apologize in advance if some of my facts are mixed up or incorrect. This is supposed to be set in Season 6. I do not own Buffy or Dollhouse.

* * *

"No way! I'm through!"

"But, Buffy—"

Buffy paced around the library, frustrated. "Giles, I have been doing this slayer gig for six years now. I have died and been resurrected upwards of three times; I've lost Angel and to top it off, the last time my friends resurrected me, which, by the way, was three days ago, I was ripped out of heaven." Buffy slammed her hands down on the table. "I'm tired, depressed and I DON'T WANT TO SLAY VAMPIRES ANYMORE! Leave me alone!"

"Buffy, you are the chosen one; you cannot escape your destiny."

Buffy threw her hands up in the air. "Screw destiny! I quit!" She ripped off her cross necklace, tossing into the nearest trashcan before storming out the door.

"Oh dear."

* * *

"Hello Echo. How are you feeling?"

"Did I fall asleep?"

"For a little while."

"Shall I go now?"

"If you like."

Echo looked up at the blonde neurosurgeon standing over her. For some reason, he looked familiar, though she couldn't grasp why. She looked around the room, noticing the various computers and gadgets. _Technology is nice_, she thought. She climbed out of the chair.

"Would you like to go swimming," offered the neurosurgeon with a grin.

"Yes, swimming is nice."

"Go on then." Topher watched as Echo took one last look around the room before walking down the stairs toward the pool. He turned to Boyd. "What the heck happened out there?! She came back covered in dust, dirt and blood! What mission did you have her on?! She should get checked out by Doctor Saunders!"

"She already did," answered Boyd calmly. "No lasting effects, no bites, no bruises, no cuts. She can hold her own as a slayer."

"Then why'd DeWitt yank the mission?"

"She malfunctioned while on patrol. Accidentally killed a human, turned bad, then tried to redeem herself by leading the potential slayers. Unfortunately, three of them were killed; we couldn't put anymore innocents in danger."

"So now what do we do with her?"

"We keep her here." Topher looked up as DeWitt entered the room, cool as ever. "We keep her here at the Dollhouse; she is now longer needed for this mission. She will go on other engagements as needed."

"But—"

"We cannot release her; she still has one more year on her contract."

* * *

"I can't believe Giles would do this to me!" Buffy jiggled the lock on the door, grumbling in frustration as the door refused to give.

"It's not Giles fault Buffy. We weren't sure if you went to Heaven or Hell." Willow paused, trying to gauge her friend's mood. She spoke quietly. "We thought we were doing the right thing."

"Well, apparently, it was the _wrong_ thing Will." Buffy yanked the key from the lock, shoving it in her pocket, before giving the door a swift karate kick, shards of wood littering the dorm room floor.

"Well, that was unnecessary," Willow intoned, walking gingerly over the pieces, grabbing her Wiccan book.

"Well, ya know what Will? At least it got us in the room."

"Ya know what Buffy? I'm sorry we yanked you out of heaven, I've sorry you have this destiny thing that puts tremendous amounts of pressure on you and I'm sorry about Angel, but you know what? You don't have to take it out on me!"

"Fine!" Buffy stepped over the shards of wood, grumbling to herself. She flung her clothes off her bed, pulling out her box of slayer gear. Swearing under her breath, she flung everything out of the chest and into the trashcan.

"What are you doing?!"

"I'm giving up slaying."

"What?! Buffy, you—"

"I know, I know. I'm the chosen one. Heard it before Will; it's become a frickin mantra for my life."

Willow glared at her friend. "Fine. Give up slaying. See if I save your ass again." She picked through the debris, making her way to the door.

Buffy looked up, watching Willow's retreating back. "Where are you going?"

"I'm meeting Tara at the Wiccan meeting; I haven't seen her all day." Willow walked out the door, not even bothering to look back.

Buffy glared at the door, fighting back tears. "At least you have someone to love."


	2. Chapter 2

"Ungh!" Echo leapt up from the table, upending it, toppling over the applesauce. Without realizing it, she kicked out at Sierra, who crumpled to the floor in a blubbering mess.

"Echo's malfunctioning again! Get someone in here! Now!" Boyd raced to the scene, barking orders into his walkie talkie. He grabbed Echo by the wrist, attempting to calm her. "Echo, are you alright?" Echo looked at him, her eyes wild. "Echo, are you alright?" Before he could blink, she attempted to punch him. "I need back-up!"

A team of security agents rushed to the scene, quickly overtaking Echo, who struggled against the strong security agents. "Someone get me a tranq!"

Boyd's eyes went wide. "You can't tranq an Active!" He drew back his arm, attempting to punch the security agent who was holding the tranquilizer. He stopped mid punch as things suddenly got quiet. He glanced at Echo, who was looking around, a blank look on her face once again. She tilted her head to the side.

"There's a mess." She looked around, her eyes falling on Sierra. She looked at Boyd, pointing. "What happened to Sierra? Does she hurt?"

"Sierra's fine Echo."

"But, she's crying." Echo walked over to Sierra, leaning down. "What's wrong Sierra?"

Sierra looked up at Echo, cowering. She started to cry.

"Sierra, why are you crying?"

Sierra stood up, backing away from Echo as Victor came up behind her. He lightly tapped her on the shoulder. "Sierra, do you want to paint with me?"

Forgetting her ordeal, Sierra looked at Victor, smiling. "I like painting." She dutifully followed him to the painting room.

Echo stared after her friends, preparing to follow them. As she turned to leave, she felt something grab her elbow. She stared at Boyd.

"Echo, you're coming with me."

"Actually, she's coming with me." Boyd looked Topher up and down, questioning him wordlessly. He nodded. "Come along Echo, it's time for your treatment."

"But, my treatment isn't until later."

"Well, you have an early one today; come along." Echo dutifully followed Topher to the treatment room.

* * *

"Stupid Willow! Stupid Xander! Stupid Giles!" Buffy's voice was close to screaming as she slammed her clothes into her suitcase. "Yanking me out of heaven; I was happy there, do you hear me?! Happy! And you had to bring me back to this…this…misery!" She snapped her suitcase shut, kicking a stake out of the way that had missed the trashcan. "I'm going back to L.A!" With that, she stormed out the door, not even bothering to look back.


	3. Chapter 3

Topher watched as Echo's body pulsed under the machine. After a few minutes, he stopped the machine, putting the chair back up. "Hello Echo. How are you feeling?"

"Did I fall asleep?"

"For a little while."

"Shall I go now?"

"If you like." Topher breathed a sigh of relief once Echo had made her way back downstairs, heading for her weekly yoga class.

"That's the third mind wipe this week." Topher jumped as DeWitt walked into the treatment room.

"Ya know, you really need to stop sneaking up on people like that; it gives them a heart attack."

DeWitt waved the matter away with her hand. "The third mind wipe in a week; what's going on?"

Topher shrugged, looking sheepish. "I honestly don't know. Mind wipes are supposed to wipe out the remnants of any remaining personalities from previous missions, but for some reason, there is one personality that keeps resurfacing in Echo. I've tried to track down the personality and best I figure, it's Faith's personality. It…it's like it's to strong. I can erase part of it, but not all of it. It just kind of…resurfaces after awhile, then…goes away."

"How many more mind wipes can we do?"

"Echo can't take much more; if I keep mind wiping her, it'll cause permanent brain damage. Even when she's in her tabula rasa state, we won't be able to imprint her anymore; she'll become…obsolete." He cringed at the last word.

"We can't have that." DeWitt walked over to the giant window of the treatment room, looking down at the inhabitants of the Dollhouse. She turned around, facing Topher. "Well, keep an eye on her then; she's out best Active. We can't let her go." She paused, thinking. "Is there anything we can do, anything we could give her that would calm her down?"

Topher shook his head. "I don't think anything can calm her down."

* * *

Buffy walked down the steps of UC Sunnydale, headed for the parking lot. Calm now, she went through a mental checklist. "Okay, I'm going back to L.A. When I get there, I can stay with Dad, so for the moment, housing isn't a problem. I'll need a job…I can always go work at the diner again." She cringed. "Of course, Giles will probably track me down," she spat. "To bad I can't escape from—wait a second; what's this?" She paused at a notice board outside the career office. A yellow piece of paper caught her eye:

_Fantastic volunteer opportunity! Are you someone who desires to help people? Then join the Rossum Corporation. We specialize in helping people be their best. If interested, please contact Adelle DeWitt. _

_Volunteers must be willing to volunteer for a period of five years._

Buffy grumbled. "Helping people? I've been helping people my whole life and have nothing to show for it. But…a period of five years. It's kind of like escaping. Why not? How bad can it be?" She dug her cell phone out of her bag, dialing the number listed on the flyer.


	4. Chapter 4

"Adelle DeWitt speaking." DeWitt picked up the phone on the first ring.

"Hi. I'm Buffy Summers. I saw your ad outside the career office of UC Sunnydale and I'm calling about a volunteer opportunity."

A smile crept across DeWitt's face as she sat down in her chair, swiveling to face the computer. "You're interested in volunteering with us?"

"Yes."

"And what makes you think you'd be a good candidate for our organization?"

"Well, there's not much info on the flyer, but…I'm resourceful, I take direction well, I…have no obligations and nowhere to be."

"Are you willing to sign with us for five years?"

"I was going to ask about that; what does a five year contract entail?"

DeWitt smiled through the phone. "What it entails, Miss Summers, is five years of doing various jobs, requiring various strengths and weaknesses. It's also a way to benefit mankind. It's also a job with no repercussions."

Buffy held the phone away from her ear, not sure she heard right. "No repercussions? You mean, you just go on these assignments and…nothing happens to you? No consequences?"

"No consequences. You essentially start your life over with a…blank slate, shall we say."

"A blank slate? Tabula rasa?" Buffy paused, thinking. A new life, a new start. No consequences, no slaying vampires, no Giles getting on her case, bugging her for patrols. It sounded wonderful. "What do I have to do to sign up?"

"You have to visit us."

"Where are you located?"

"Los Angeles."

Buffy smirked. This was to perfect. "Los Angeles?"

"Yes. How soon can you be here?"

"One hour."

"Good. You obviously have my number. I will call you in an hour with a location. You are to go to the location I name and wait. A black van will pick you up. See you in an hour."

Buffy hung up the phone. Normally, something this strange would cause her concern, but for the moment, she decided not to let it bother her. She was ready to start a new life. No matter what the cost.


	5. Chapter 5

DeWitt smiled as she hung up the phone. She quickly got up from her desk, her heels clicking along the polished wood floor. "Okay everyone, we have a new candidate coming into the Dollhouse today. Dr. Saunders, we need to make sure she's healthy, so Miss. Summers will be examined once she's in her tabula rasa state."

"Yes Miss. DeWitt."

"Boyd, I have spoken with Miss. Summers and have informed her that a black van will be picking her up at a location I specify. I need you to get the team and meet Miss. Summers in an hour. I will tell you where to go at that time."

"My team and I are already on it."

"And Topher…" DeWitt trailed off, looking down her nose at the blonde neurosurgeon. She waved her hand in his direction. "Well, you know what to do."

"I'll have the imprint ready in an hour."

* * *

Buffy stood on a street corner in Los Angeles, scanning the street, searching for a black van that Ms. DeWitt said was supposed to pick her up. She held her hand up her face, shielding her eyes from the sunlight.

"What black van? I've been standing here for fifteen minutes and I haven't seen one black…oh." Her voice trailed off as a black van pulled up to the curb. The side door slid open, revealing a mass of computers, cables and wires. A tall, muscular security guard hopped out.

"You Buffy Summers?"

"Yep. That's me."

"Name's Boyd. I'm here to take you to the Dollhouse."

"The Dollhouse? I thought I was going to the Rossum Corporation. I spoke with Adelle DeWitt over the phone earlier today."

"We're a subsidiary of Rossum; hop in. Ms. DeWitt will explain everything."

Buffy looked the security guard up and down, shrugging. "Okay. Whatever."

Boyd cocked an eyebrow as Buffy climbed into the van; he hoped DeWitt knew what she was doing.

* * *

The van pulled into a dark, underground parking garage a few minutes later. Buffy peered out the window; she had no idea where she was. She turned to the security guard as the van pulled to a stop. Boyd opened the sliding door, turning to her. "Follow me please." Buffy obliged, following Boyd as he led her to an elevator.

* * *

The elevator came to a stop on what felt like an unknown floor. Boyd got out, confidently striding down a long corridor, his footsteps echoing off the walls. Buffy followed behind, looking around.

There wasn't much to look at, at first, but when they rounded a corner, Buffy was met with an amazing sight. Polished wood floors, potted plants and a large swimming pool met her eyes. Everywhere she looked, there were people swimming, doing yoga, painting, trimming little potted trees, or just walking around. They all seemed happy, yet there was no smiling, no laughing. Well, except for a few smiles on a few people they passed; faraway, dreamy looking smiles. Smiles, and an atmosphere that was serene; maybe a little to serene.

"Hello Echo." Boyd greeted a girl with long auburn hair as he briskly walked passed. Buffy did a double take; something about her looked vaguely familiar. The girl did nothing except give Buffy a sweet smile as she passed. Buffy stared, feeling her cheeks grow warm. The smile was unnerving, yet oddly familiar at the same time.

"We're here Miss. Summers."

"Huh?" Buffy shook her head, looking away from the girl Boyd had referred to as Echo.

"This is DeWitt's office; go right on in. She's ready for you."

Buffy took one last look at Echo before entering the massive office.


	6. Chapter 6

DeWitt looked up as the door to her office opened. A blonde woman entered, appearing to survey the room. DeWitt smiled genially at her, getting up out of her chair, extending her hand in greeting.

"Good afternoon. My name is Adelle DeWitt."

Buffy took the outstretched hand, shaking it. "Buffy Summers. Pleased to meet you."

DeWitt pasted on a grin, walking back around to sit at the massive desk. "So, Miss. Summers, you desire to be a part of our organization?"

"Yes."

"And you're wiling to sign with us for five years?" DeWitt paused. "You do realize that this contract is binding and final. Once you sign it, there is no turning back. Once it is signed, you have given your life over to the Dollhouse."

"Yeah, about that. The security guard that picked me up mentioned that this was the Dollhouse." Buffy paused, thinking. "So, is this a subsidiary of the Rossum Corporation? Like the security guard said?"

"Yes, it is. The information on the Rossum Corporation is highly confidential, so I'm afraid I cannot give you much information about it. However, I can enlighten you about the workings of the Dollhouse. What we do here at the Dollhouse is…well…something to benefit mankind."

"Benefit mankind?" Buffy nodded. "Doing…what exactly?"

"The aim of the Dollhouse is to help people by making their dreams come true; giving them a chance to live out their greatest fantasies."

"And that helps people?"

"Everybody in this world has a fantasy, a dream. Something they turn to that gets them through life. It can be big things, or little things. It is something to turn to when life gets…less appealing than it should be."

"Tell me about it," Buffy muttered. She looked up. "So, by signing with the Dollhouse, I'm basically helping people live out their greatest fantasies. Sounds a little dicey."

"It really isn't; by signing with the Dollhouse, you have the benefit of helping mankind and creating a new life for yourself." DeWitt paused, looking pointedly at the blonde woman before her. "That was the reason you came here, wasn't it? To start a new life? With a blank slate? A way to help others with no repercussions? Just think Miss. Summers, by signing with us, you can leave your old life behind…and begin anew."

Buffy looked up, meeting DeWitt's gaze. A smile crept across her face. "Sign me up."

* * *

"So, what is this place?" Buffy stood in a room lined with computers of every shape and size. Wires went everywhere, connected to who knows what. In the middle of it all sat a light blue chair.

"This is the treatment room. The name's Topher." He grinned at Buffy, hoping to make her feel at ease.

"The treatment room?" Buffy walked over to the chair, peering down at it. "So, all I have to do is get in this chair, lay down…and I'll become a part of this place?"

"That's right."

Buffy pointed to the chair. "Will it hurt?"

"No. Well…not much anyway. Are you ready?"

"Can I have a minute?"

"Take all the time you need; I'll be over here." Topher pointed to a corner of the room, then walked off, looking through a box of what appeared to be computer chips.

Buffy walked to the window, peering out over the Dollhouse. All over, she saw people swimming, practicing yoga poses, eating in some kind of cafeteria, and over in a corner, a bunch of couches with books scattered about. Buffy jumped suddenly, her eyes falling on the auburn haired girl she had met earlier. The girl appeared to be studying her. Buffy blinked, then gulped. A new life, a blank slate. Soon, she would be like them; walking around, a serene smile on her face. She shuddered, then turned to Topher. "Uh, Topher?"

"You ready?"

Buffy smiled. "Yep! Let's do this!"

"Alright, have a seat." Buffy settled herself in the chair as Topher leaned it back. She watched as he grabbed something off a table, then flipped a few switches on the computer. "Now, this may sting a little." At the same moment that Topher flipped the last switch, Buffy screamed, the world dissolving around her in a blinding flash of white light. Then, everything went blank.


	7. Chapter 7

"Hello Delta. How are you feeling?"

Delta looked around her, seeing the massive computers, then noticing a smiling face in front of her. She frowned. "Did I fall asleep?"

"For a little while"

Delta blinked. It had been a good sleep. "Shall I go now?"

"If you like. There are a lot of new people for you to meet."

"I like new people. I hope they're nice." Delta climbed out of the chair, making her way to the door and down the stairs. The wood railing felt smooth and cool against her hand. Her feet hit the floor with a soft sound, muffled as they walked across the floor, taking in the scenery. She turned a corner, eyeing the pool. "Swimming is nice." She stopped and stared, then jumped slightly as something touched her shoulder. She turned around, staring into chocolate brown eyes. She smiled. "Hello."

"I'm Echo." The girl smiled sweetly, causing a warm, fuzzy feeling inside Delta.

"I'm Delta."

Echo paused, seeming to search the new girl's face. "Do you like books?"

"Yes."

"I'm going to read a book; would you like to come?" The girl's words were hypnotizing. Delta smiled.

"I'd like that."

"Good." Echo reached out, gently taking Delta's hand, leading her over to a secluded corner. "Sit here." Echo pointed to the couch, then picked a book up off the floor. "This is a book about princesses; do you like princesses?"

"Yes." Delta answered absently, observing her new friend. The girl gracefully sat down next to Delta, flipping a strand of hair over her shoulder. Delta felt her cheeks warm to look at her.

"This is a story about a princess." Echo opened the book to the first page, running her hand over the picture. "See? She's pretty."

Delta stared at Echo, then looked at the book. "Yes, she is." She snuggled up to Echo, laying her head on her shoulder as Echo began to read.

"Once upon a time…"


	8. Chapter 8

Topher stared at the computer screen, monitoring Echo's vitals as she went on another mission. He chuckled softly, shaking his head in wonder.

"I fail to see what's so amusing."

Topher jumped at the sound of DeWitt's voice. He turned to her. "Ya know, you _really_ need to stop doing that."

DeWitt rolled her eyes, walking over to the computer. "Extraordinary."

"It's been three weeks and Echo's vitals have been completely stable. She hasn't malfunctioned, she hasn't tried to take anybody out, she hasn't gone off mission. It's…incredible." He smirked. "Oh, I'm good."

"That's only her mission vitals; what about inside the Dollhouse?"

"No outbursts, no upending tables; we haven't had to call security on her for weeks."

"What do you think caused the change?"

Topher rubbed his hand across his mouth in thought. "I think it's Delta."

"Delta? That blonde active that came to us three weeks ago? Really?"

"Yeah. It completely defies the laws of neuroscience. For some reason, and I don't know how, Delta seems to have a calming effect on Echo. It's like…it's like Delta's her other half."

* * *

_One hour later…_

Echo stood at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for Delta to finish her treatment. She had a big day planned for them; swimming, yoga, painting, lunch and then more reading books. Echo loved the way Delta rested her head on her shoulder while she read to her; it made her happy.

"Hello Echo."

Echo looked up at her friend, smiling softly. "Hello Delta. Would you like to go swimming?"

"Yes, I'd like that." Delta reached for Echo's hand, smiling at the familiar warmth as Echo took it, gently leading her to the pool.

Up above, in the treatment room, DeWitt turned to Topher. "Well done Topher."

Topher smiled. "Thanks Ms. DeWitt. It really was nothing."

DeWitt smirked. "I'm sure it was. Back to work then; we have several actives going out on engagements today. It should be relatively busy."

"Yes ma'm." Topher smiled, turning back to his computer, his eyes falling on a profile that popped up on the screen. "Welcome to the Dollhouse Delta."


End file.
